Reviews

“That's just what translation is, I think. That's all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they're trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.”

The thing with Fantasy as a book genre is that I always found a way to look at it as ridiculous which destroyed the joy of reading. It was always the romance that ruined it for me, and Fantasy&Romance seemed like an inseparable theme that everyone enjoyed but me.

That wasn't the case with Babel.
R.F. Kuang mentioned in the acknowledgements that Babel is about infinite worlds of languages, cultures, and histories. And let me add to this that it's a book where knowledge is power. knowledge is a weapon.

I don't think I have enough talent with words to praise this book as it deserves. I learnt so many little interesting things. And had a great time reading! that's all I ever wanted! It's simply magical.

aturb92's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This book is only getting three stars because I enjoyed the first couple hundred pages so much, and genuinely wanted to love it. For how much struggle the four main characters go through I feel there was no depth to them. Other than being minorities at Oxford, which isn’t a personality type but a fact of each of their lives. For how talented I have heard Kuang is, I feel she could have made them more relatable and alive.
We wont’ talk about the ending, but it is what it is.

Content Warnings

oliviacharlene's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

white_dragon_tea's review against another edition

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hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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